Electric conductor



NOV. 5, 1935. QW-ENS 2,019,868

ELEC TRI C CONDUCTOR Filed Nov. 22, 1930 I N V EN TOR. flea/VAN Owl/vs.

I BY y Y ATTRNEY.

Patented Nov. 5, 1935 UNITED STATES:

PATENT OFFICE 9 Claims.

My invention relates to an electric conductor and particularly to a lead wire or conductor adapted for use with photoelectric cells, as a connection between such cells and the transformer or amplifier tubes with which they are generally used.

In the art of talking motion pictures, and particularly in the reproduction 'of photographic sound records therewith, a light is passed through the sound track on the moving film, the sound track serving to modulate the light in accordance with the sound record photographed thereon, thus translating such sound record into light variations. This modulated light is then passed to a photoelectric cell which translates the light variations into corresponding electric impulses which are used to modulate an electric current which, after amplification, may be rendered audible by means of loud speakers. In the practical use of devices of this character, it has been found that unless the lead wire or conductor from the photoelectric cell to the amplifier tube or transformer, over which must pass the current modulated by the feeble translated impulses from, the photoelectric cell, is very short, the effect of capacity changes and induction combine to materially reduce the volume of the finally reproduced sound record and in addition cause distortion thereof. Consequently it has been the practice heretofore to so place the amplifier tube or transformer and other necessary apparatus a matter of inches only. from the photoelectric venience, additional expense and requiring constant surveillance and attention on the part of the operator.

By my invention I have provided a lead wire or conductor which destroys the deleterious effect of capacity changes and induction and which renders the conductor thus particularly adaptable for use in photographic sound reproduction.

Of course my invention is not limited specifically to this particular use but finds equal adaptation in many other fields as well, such as ordinary electric current transmission wires, radio antenna, etc. The particular use above described is intended as illustrative only.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent as the description proceeds, reference now being had to the figures of the accompanying drawing forming part of this application and wherein like referencenumerals indicate like parts.

In the drawing:-

Figure 1 is a side view of a short section of conductor mbodying my invention, certain parts cell, resulting in inconbeing broken away and certain parts being shown in section for clearness of illustration.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing a modified form of my invention. I Figure 3 is a similar view showing another 5 modification of my invention.

Referring now to the drawing, and particularly to Figure 1 thereof, the reference character I indicates a conductor wire for electric currents, such as an ordinary straight copper wire of one or more strands, provided with the ordinary insulation 2 of rubber, woven fabric or other known insulation materi In one form of my invention, and a form which has proven thoroughly practical in actual use, the insulated wire i is first wrapped with one or more wrappings 3 of cloth, fabric, tape or the like. These windings are wrapped fairly tight around the insulation 2, which in the usual form is, to a degree, rather-flexible in character, thus giving to the insulation an uneven and irregular peripheral contour longitudinally of the wire. If more than one wrapping of tape is used, the successive wrappings are wound in opposite directions, thus contributing further to the uneven and irregular eflect.

Next; in this form of the invention, there is. wound tightly around the wrappings 3, one or more windings of cord 4, two windings being shown and, as illustrated, wound in opposite directions. These cordwindings especially give to the peripheral surface of the .conduit a very uneven and irregular contour with respect to the wire i, as the cords 4 of course follow the irregular surface of the tape windings 3, and the round form of the cord is also especially adapted to the formation of an irregular surface.

The cord windings ,4 may next be, and preferably are, wrapped with one or more wrappings 5 of tape or other insulation material, the same as the wrappings 3.. These wrappings 5 of course follow the irregular contour provided by the previous wrappings and particularly as provided by the cord windings 4.

Next, there is placed about the conductor thus provided with a very uneven and irregular peripheral contour longitudinally, a shield G of lead, tin, copper or other suitable shielding material. Woven or braided fine copper wire isexcellent for this purpose. This shield 6 is caused to follow the irregular contour of the conduit. "This may be accomplished in any suitable manner as by pressing the shield into tight engagement with the wrappings 5 or, as shown in Figure 1, by wrapping the outside of the shield tightly with tape 1, the same as 5 and 3. This causes the shield to engage and follow closely the irregular surface of the'wrappings 5. Thus, the shield 6 is caused to have a very uneven and irregular contour with respect to the wire I passing therethrough, and heavily insulated therefrom by the various windings.

The conduit may then be entirely enclosed in an outer sheath 8 of well known form and construction, either flexible or rigid. The sheath 6 is, in use, preferably grounded'as at 9.

Thus there is provided a conductor for electric currents, in which the conducting wire itself is insulated and shielded irregularly and unevenly through its length.

Actual practice and experiment has shown by comparison, that capacity changes and induction do not affect to any material extent, the current passing through a conduit or conductor made in accordance with my invention, that is with the conductor wire and its shield irregularly spaced from each other. As a result, and this has been borne out by actual practice in the talking picture art, a lead wire made in accordance with this invention and used between the photoelectric cell and the first tube of the amplifier or transformer made of any desired length without loss in quality or volume of the reproduced sound record. I It appears that the irregular spacing between the conductor wire and the shield serves to break up or neutralize the effect of capacity changes and induction to the extent that they have little or no effect upon the current passing through the wire conductor itself.

A modified form of my invention is illustrated in Figure 2, wherein reference, character ill indicates the conductor wire corresponding to the wire I in Figure 1, around which wire is the insulation covering l2. This insulation is enclosed in a shield IS the same as shield 6 in Figure 1. It will be observed that the shield l3 and the insulation I! are completely irregular and uneven with respect to the wire l passing therethrough. This formation may be accomplished by placing the wire Ill within the shield and insulation and then pressing, winding, twisting or otherwise deforming the same to produce the relative irregularity in space between the shield and wire, or by molding or otherwise forming the insulation [2 irregularly and causing the shield to conform to the shape thereof. I do not limit myself to any particular method or means of producing this relative irregularity.

Preferably another layer of insulating material M is provided around the shield 3, such insulation material being rubber or other suitable material, and the entire device is then enclosed within an outer sheath IS, the character of which may vary or differ according to the particular needs or requirements, for instance, the outer sheath 15 may be a section of piping or it may be in the form of flexible tubing similar to the sheath 8 in Figure 1.

In the modification shown in Figure 3, the

conducting wire or core I6 is of bent irregular form longithdinally and is enclosed in alayer or coating of insulating material I! encircling which is a tubular shield l8. Another layer of insulating .material I! covers the shield 8 and the entire device is enclosed by an outside sheath 20 corresponding with sheaths 8 and I of Figures 1 and 2.

In this form the irregularity of space between the wire core or conductor l6 and the shield I8, is provided by the irregular shape of the wire l6.

There are many other mechanical ways for b inging about the desired construction, and many forms which the invention may take. I do not limit myself, therefore, to the forms shown and described herein other than by the appended 10 claims.

I claim:

1. A conductor for electriccurrents comprising a conducting wire and a shield around said wire, the distance between the'wire and the shield varying irregularly along the length thereof and means for holding said wire and shield in said distance relationship.

2. A conductor for electriccurrents comprising a conducting wire and a shield around said I wire, the distance between the wire and the shield varying irregularly along the length thereof, said wire being completely insulated from said shield sulating material filling the irregular spaces be- 35 tween said wire and said shield and the spaces between said shield and said sheath.

5. A conductor for electric currents comprising a conducting wire, an insulation covering of irregular peripheral contour around said wire, a 4.0;

shield around said covering and following the irregular contour thereof, a covering of, insulation around said shield, and a sheath around said last named insulation.

6. :A conductor for electric currents comprising a conducting core, a shield around said core, and means irregularly spacing apart said core and shield along the lengths thereof and for holding them tightly so spaced, for preventing distortion of current passing through said core.

7. A conductor for electric currents comprising a conducting core, a shield around said core, and insulating means irregularly spacing apart said core and shield along the lengths thereof and for holding them tightly so spaced, for preventing distortion of current passing through said core.

8. An electric conductor including a, conductor core member, a metallic shield member surrounding said conductor core member and insulation means tightly holding said members in fixed 

